All Jeep Gladiators require that you purchase the tow package if you plan to use this vehicle for towing as the base does not come with a trailer hitch receiver.

It is important that you always check your manual and specific specifications to ensure you are towing safe amounts. It all starts with the GCWR. This article lists the GCWR and max trailer weight for all engine, trim, and package options taken from the 2023 Jeep Gladiator owners manual and a 2023 Jeep Gladiator Brochure.

This is meant to be used as a reference, and you are responsible for making sure you are towing safely.

(There are some discrepancies between the owners manual and brochure)

I wrote a full article on calculating towing capacity that walks you through the necessary steps to ensure you are not exceeding the towing or payload capacity.

How much can a Jeep Gladiator Tow?

All Jeep Gladiators can tow a minimum of 4000 lbs. Some options with tow packages can accommodate up to 770 lbs.

The engine type, axle ratio, tow package, and transmission all affect the weight rating of the Jeep Gladiator.

What Jeep Gladiator should you buy for max towing?

The Sport or Sport S with an automatic transmission with the Max Tow Package will provide the highest towing capacity of 7,650 lbs.

2023 Jeep Gladiator Engine Specs

3.6L Pentastar V6 Engine

The 3.6 L Pentastar V6 engine, also known as the 3.6 L V6 24V VVT engine has a maximum horsepower of 285 and torque of 260 lb.-ft.

It has a manual and automatic version and is the base engine in all Jeep Gladiator trim levels.

It estimates to get 16 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway.

3.0L V6 EcoDiesel Engine

The 3.0 L V6 EcoDiesel engine also known as the 3.0 L V6 Turbo Diesel engine is an automatic-only engine offered as an option on every trim.

It has a maximum horsepower of 260 and torque of 442 lb.-ft.

It overall gets better gas mileage than the Pentastar engine with 22 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway.

Transmissions

The Jeep Gladiator 3.6 L Pentastar engine comes in both manual and automatic transmission types. In every trim level, the automatic provides additional towing strength than the manual alternative.

The manual engine is a 6-speed transmission with code D478. The automatic transmission which is also equipped on the diesel Jeep Gladiator engines is an 8-speed transmission with the code 850RE.

Jeep Gladiator Features

Towing Features

Trailer Sway Damping is also built into the Gladiator as a standard feature which prevents trailer sway from cross winds or sharp movement and automatically adjusts brake pressure to keep the vehicle moving straight.

ParkView Rear Backup camera is a pretty standard backup camera that has a 4X trailer hitch zoom to better align the truck when back up to attach a trailer. This is available upon purchase.

Trailer Brake Control which adjusts the brake pressure of the trailer is availalbe by the dealer as well.

Bed Features

There is only a singular bed size for all Jeep Gladiators of 5 ft. It implements a three-position tailgate and 4 tie-down loops to ensure safe transport of your cargo (Jeep.com).

A full 115 bolt/400-watt power outlet is also installed in the truck bed to power small appliances on the go and when tailgating.

An additional special feature in the bed of the Gladiator is the Trailer Rail System. This is a customizable and adjustable tie-down system that comes with various accessories from Jeep for maximum storage capacity and functionality.

For more information on the Gladiator Bed read here.

Packages

In order to tow with the Jeep Gladiator out of stock, a package must be added. There are two packages available. The first package simply adds the necessary equipment to make the gladiator have the capability to tow, and the second maximizes the towing capacity of the Gladiator.

Trailer-Tow Package

The trailer tow package on the Jeep Gladiator simply allows the Gladiator to be used as a towing truck.

It adds a Class IV hitch receiver, trailer hitch zoom, 240-amp alternator, and a heavy-duty engine cooling system.

It does not increase the towing capacity of any of the trims it is added to. It is available as an add-on to all trim levels.

Max Tow Package with 4.10 Axle Ratio

The Max Tow Package offered by Jeep comes with the same features as the trailer tow package but adds:

• 4.10:1 axle ratio
• Trac-Lok limied-slip differential
• A/T tires
• wide fender flares
• GVWR of 6250 lb

It is only available on the Sport and Sport S trims and requires the 3.6 L Pentastar automatic engine.

Do you need a towing package?

If you plan to use the Jeep Gladiator for towing then you do need a towing package. Otherwise you will not have the appropriate equipment to install a trailer.

After you have the appropriate hitch installed, you will want to also have a trailer hitch ball mount. CURT makes some great mounts, and I recommend the CURT 45900 Adjustable Trailer Hitch Ball mount to allow you to adjust to various trailers.

curt 45900 adjustable trailer hitch ball

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• Adjustable hitch ball mount for 2 in receivers
• Supports up to 14,000 lbs
• Includes 2 in and 2-5/16 in balls

Jeep Gladiator Towing Capacity by Trim

As mentioned earlier the regular tow package does not affect the towing capacity of the vehicle, so all values listed below are for the Jeep Gladiator with or without a tow package.

Sport & Sport S Towing Capacity

The 2023 Jeep Gladiator Sport and Sport S models have a towing capacity range of 4,000 lbs to 7,650 lbs with the Max Tow Package.

Rubicon

The 2023 Jeep Gladiator Rubicion models have a towing capacity range of 4,500 lbs to 7,000 lbs.

Overland

The 2023 Jeep Gladiator Overland models have a towing capacity range of 4,000 lbs to 6,500 lbs.

Mojave

The 2023 Jeep Gladiator Mojave models have a towing capacity range of 4,500 lbs to 6,500 lbs.

High Altitude

The 2023 Jeep Gladiator High Altitude models have a towing capacity range of 6,000 lbs to 6,500 lbs.

Jeep Gladiator Payload Capacity

The payload capacity of the Gladiator ranges from 1,025 to 1,600 lbs. There is some documentation that claims it can even go up to 1700 lbs if equipped properly.

This means that the Gladiator can hold an extra 1025 to 1700 lbs in the bed and cab in cargo weight safely.

Sport & Sport S Towing Capacity

Rubicon

Overland

Mojave

High Altitude

Rear Step Bumper Towing vs Hitch Receiver Towing

Towing always requires some type of hitch, but the Jeep Gladiator can allow for bumper towing.

As you will notice, the tow package added to any Gladiators does not affect the towing capacity. This is because this package only adds a hitch receiver. You have the option to add your own hitch receiver if you don’t buy the tow package.

If you do not buy the tow package or install a hitch receiver, the max towing capacity is 3,500 lbs and the tongue weight max load is 350 lbs. This weight is limited to a bumper-mounted ball.

This means that all of the listed towing capacities above for everything over 3,500 lbs require a trailer hitch receiver or tow package.

Need a hitch receiver?

curt 13434 class 3 trailer hitch 2 inch receiver

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• Class 3 hitch receiver
• Compatible with Jeep Gladiator JT

Jeep Gladiator Towing Capacity Master Chart

Towing Capacity of Jeep Gladiator by year

Looking for more details on the towing capacity of a particular year? Check out each article below.

• 2021
• 2020